Two days before Malta takes over the presidency of the EU Council for the first time, the government has been caught in an embarrassing public relations blooper.

A billboard promoting the presidency that has been erected by the popular Regional Road tunnel says [Malta] “we’ll welcome EU heads of ‘goverment’ [sic] as well as ministers and 2,500 journalists” during its six-month term as head of the EU Council.

It ends with the presidency slogan ‘Putting you at the heart of Europe’ and the official presidency slogan, themed as a Maltese cross.

The photo has gone viral on social media, with people decrying it as shameful and embarrassing. Apart from the glaring spelling mistake, the billboard has also been panned for its use of the abbreviated ‘we’ll’ instead of the full ‘we will’, which – has been argued – looks wrong in context.